It isn’t particularly difficult to maintain an attitude of snobbery in relation to psychotherapeutic modality efficaciousness. This occurs when a psychotherapist believes that a preferred model of therapy is the best or only effective approach to mental, emotional, and behavioral health.
I was cautioned about this form of hubris when attending graduate school for counseling (2012-2014). All the same, counselors at that time were discouraged in regard to the practice of eclecticism—using multiple modalities.
Thus, students within the counseling program were invited to choose from one of many strategies for wellness. Given brief background information on the major models when in school, I chose to study rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT).
My decision was based on an appreciation for logic and reason (collectively “rational”), because my life up until that point wasn’t something about which I was appreciative. Consequently, I figured that my irrational approach to living wasn’t serving my interests and goals.
Developed by the late psychologist Albert Ellis, who once practiced psychoanalysis, REBT primarily uses the techniques of (1) the ABC model and (2) unconditional acceptance. In the ultimate interest of rational living, this modality centers on personal ownership in life.
Perhaps unproductively, many of the psychotherapeutic modalities about which I was taught in focused on changing one’s environment. If person X is displeased with results of the 2024 United States (U.S.) presidential election, then treatment would focus on activistic change.
This isn’t how REBT functions. Rather than blaming oneself, others, or life for displeasure, person X would be invited to take personal responsibility and accountability of one’s own reaction to the election.
This active-directive approach to wellness isn’t necessarily comfortable, because it isn’t always easy to look at oneself and ask, “What role did I play in this matter?” As such, I don’t market my services as an “easy” method of reducing self-disturbance and improving one’s quality of life.
If I were to hazard a guess, the conceivably easiest form of so-called therapy about which I learned in school was primal scream therapy. It’s also one of the most laughable approaches I can think of, at the risk of sounding psychotherapeutically snobbish.
Similar to how REBT ostensibly falls under the umbrella of cognitive behavior therapy, primal scream therapy is a subcategory of primal therapy, about which one source states:
Primal therapy is a trauma-based psychotherapy created by Arthur Janov, who argued that neurosis is caused by the repressed pain of childhood trauma. Janov argued that repressed pain can be sequentially brought to conscious awareness for resolution through re-experiencing specific incidents and fully expressing the resulting pain during therapy.
At best, I suspect that screaming into the void of existence could offer the transient effect of catharsis—relief from unpleasant feelings (emotions and bodily sensations). However, this form of so-called treatment isn’t efficacious. According to one source:
In two legal findings, the courts had to decide whether medical insurance would pay for so-called primal therapy. The courts requested an evaluation as to whether primal therapy is recognized as a scientific therapeutic process. The authors examined the available literature and then came to the conclusion that primal therapy is not a valid therapeutic technique.
Although it may feel better to yell within the confines of a therapist’s office or when located in nature, people don’t necessarily get better when behaving in such a manner. Noteworthy, REBT is designed to help people get better and not merely to feel better.
Imagine that person X is taught that rather than taking personal ownership of unhelpful beliefs about the 2024 U.S. presidential election, which results in the unpleasant emotion of fear and unhelpful behavior of prolonged crying, this individual could instead scream and shout.
Over a period of time when throwing petulant tantrums of this sort, and perhaps without awareness of the behaviorism aspect taking place, person X learns that the only method of relieving undesirable tension is to scream and shout. This approach becomes a learned behavior.
How then may person X respond to subsequent problems in life? For instance, person X is pulled over by law enforcement; screaming and shouting relieves tension. Someone accidentally bumps into person X at work; screaming and shouting is the learned behavior that supposedly helps.
Given this consideration, primal scream therapy is a nonadaptive approach to wellness. Nevertheless, I’ve observed a surprising trend on social media whereby primal scream is apparently resurging to popularity among some people.
When watching the childish responses of self-disturbed individuals who’ve used unhelpful beliefs about the 2024 U.S. presidential election, I’ve witnessed primal scream behavior in spite of the ineffectiveness of this model. Apparently, some people didn’t get the memo about this matter.
Even still, I suspect that if many of these individuals were made aware of how absurd their behavior is, they would likely justify their actions. Often, justification of this sort occurs when someone says, “I’m just […].”
When contemplating this matter further, I’m reminded of the electronic dance music (EDM) track “Scream & Shout” by Dirty Secretz and Glen Horsborough, and featuring Tess Leah. Lyrics of the house music track state, “I just wanna scream and shout.”
Suppose I said to person X, “REBT can help you get better rather than offering a feel-better cathartic effect that primal scream therapy offers.” If opting for an irrational approach to well-being, person X could reply, “I just wanna scream and shout, not take personal ownership.”
Typically, the first half of that reply is all that will be stated. I added the rational second part of the sentence to illustrate what’s actually taking place when a person foregoes rational living for some trendy social media so-called therapy that essentially died out in the ‘80s, and for a reason.
Of course, as an REBT practitioner who’s mindful of the snobbery that sometimes exists within the field of mental, emotional, and behavioral health, I’m not demanding that people shouldn’t, mustn’t, or oughtn’t to self-disturb and scream into the void. Ergo, people can do as they please.
If you’re looking for a provider who works to help you understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.
As the world’s foremost EDM-influenced REBT psychotherapist—promoting content related to EDM, I’m pleased to help people with an assortment of issues from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters.
At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply helping you to feel better, I want to help you get better!
Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW
References:
AEI. (n.d.). About Albert Ellis, Ph.D. Albert Ellis Institute. Retrieved from https://albertellis.org/about-albert-ellis-phd/
Calm. (n.d.). What is scream therapy and does it relieve stress & anxiety? Retrieved from https://www.calm.com/blog/scream-therapy
Davis, N. (2022, September 23). Little evidence screaming helps mental health, say psychologists. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/sep/23/little-evidence-screaming-helps-mental-health-say-psychologists
Ehebald, U. and Werthmann, H. V. (1982). [Primal therapy--a clinically confirmed procedure?]. Zeitschrift fur Psychosomatische Medizin und Psychoanalyse. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7180218/
Freepik. (n.d.). Portrait of woman showing strong emotions for mental health awareness [Image]. Retrieved from https://www.freepik.com/free-ai-image/portrait-woman-showing-strong-emotions-mental-health-awareness_266610495.htm#fromView=search&page=1&position=7&uuid=bf32d57a-7e76-4be4-8caf-ecbd9f175d96
Hollings, D. (2024, October 18). ABC model. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/abc-model
Hollings, D. (2024, June 14). An active-directive approach to behavioral health. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/an-active-directive-approach-to-behavioral-health
Hollings, D. (2022, November 18). Big T, little t. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/big-t-little-t
Hollings, D. (2024, June 2). Blame. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/blame
Hollings, D. (2024, November 10). Catharsis. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/catharsis
Hollings, D. (2024, May 19). Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/cognitive-behavior-therapy-cbt
Hollings, D. (2022, October 31). Demandingness. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/demandingness
Hollings, D. (2022, March 15). Disclaimer. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/disclaimer
Hollings, D. (2023, September 8). Fair use. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/fair-use
Hollings, D. (2023, October 12). Get better. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/get-better
Hollings, D. (n.d.). Hollings Therapy, LLC [Official website]. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/
Hollings, D. (2024, January 2). Interests and goals. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/interests-and-goals
Hollings, D. (2023, September 19). Life coaching. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/life-coaching
Hollings, D. (2023, January 8). Logic and reason. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/logic-and-reason
Hollings, D. (2024, August 8). Managing and treating symptoms. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/managing-and-treating-symptoms
Hollings, D. (2024, March 4). Mental, emotional, and behavioral health. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/mental-emotional-and-behavioral-health
Hollings, D. (2024, September 27). My attitude. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/my-attitude
Hollings, D. (2023, September 3). On feelings. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/on-feelings
Hollings, D. (2022, November 7). Personal ownership. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/personal-ownership
Hollings, D. (2024, May 5). Psychotherapist. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/psychotherapist
Hollings, D. (2022, March 24). Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT). Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/rational-emotive-behavior-therapy-rebt
Hollings, D. (2024, May 15). Rational living. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/rational-living
Hollings, D. (2024, March 14). REBT and emotions. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/rebt-and-emotions
Hollings, D. (2022, November 1). Self-disturbance. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/self-disturbance
Hollings, D. (2024, April 21). Sensation. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/sensation
Hollings, D. (2022, October 7). Should, must, and ought. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/should-must-and-ought
Hollings, D. (2024, October 20). Unconditional acceptance redux. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/unconditional-acceptance-redux
Hollings, D. (2022, August 8). Was Freud right? Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/was-freud-right
Hollings, D. (2024, September 29). Well, well, well. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/well-well-well
Houtune. (2018, August 2). Dirty Secretz & Glen Horsborough feat. Tess Leah - Scream & Shout (Original mix) [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/B75-whOj7-U?si=1r0YfgmqBTXsmsVn
McGinn, L. K. (1996). Interview: Albert Ellis on rational emotive behavior therapy. National Academy of Psychotherapy. Retrieved from https://psychotherapy.psychiatryonline.org/doi/pdf/10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.1997.51.3.309
Spotify. (n.d.). Dirty Secretz. Retrieved from https://open.spotify.com/artist/69SjawsNb0whZbmKJFI5OE
Spotify. (n.d.). Glen Horsborough. Retrieved from https://open.spotify.com/artist/1J46gHqs7zPa7Lciz41abR
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Tess Leah. Retrieved from https://open.spotify.com/artist/2HG2anwywl9d9XWgmxhAQb
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Arthur Janov. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Janov
Wikipedia. (n.d.). List of psychotherapies. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_psychotherapies
Comments